Opinion

In our home of 15 years we have an acre of grass and vegetation which I love tending. It’s my therapy and I learn a great deal from the yard I manage.
Each season, grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees let a part of themselves go in the form of seed, every one of which is a point of life containing the full potential of the parent. In the quest to find a rooting spot, they are buffeted by winds, parched by the sun and soaked by rain. And they often encounter cement or stone rather than fertile soil.

Last week I got to experience one of the great adventures in my life.
I was able to take my boy scouts on a 120-mile canoe trip on the Au Sable River in Michigan. Scouting has allowed me to travel all over this country to experience the most amazing adventures.

For the past ten days, Australian Sam’s mum and friend Leah have been visiting us from down under. Sam will be with us for six more weeks, but the others began their journey back to the other side of the world yesterday.

At a recent House Rules committee hearing, one of my colleagues from New York declared that the potholes in the roads in her district are so bad, “you can lose your car in them.” Kentuckians and Americans from all over the country agree. It is long past time that something was done to address the deplorable state of the highways and infrastructure in this country.

Growing up as a Baptist preacher’s daughter had its ups and downs. Everything they say about preachers’ kids is true. We really are getting into trouble all the time, and doing things we shouldn’t. But it’s only because we spend so much time playing with the deacons’ kids.

Two little boys were walking home from Sunday School where the lesson had been on the Devil and one asked the other “What do you think of this Devil business?”
“Well,” replied the other boy. “You know how Santa Claus turned out--it’s either your mother or your father.”

Our County Clerk, Julie Barr, posted on her social media page that voter turnout was a mere 16 percent. Even after considering those voters who are registered as Independents and not able to vote in this primary, this means that four out of five registered voters did not care enough to exercise their rights and obligation as citizens of the greatest country ever developed by rational humans.
What ever happened to our educational system that taught people that voting was most important?

Our County Clerk, Julie Barr, posted on her social media page that voter turnout was a mere 16 percent. Even after considering those voters who are registered as Independents and not able to vote in this primary, this means that four out of five registered voters did not care enough to exercise their rights and obligation as citizens of the greatest country ever developed by rational humans.
What ever happened to our educational system that taught people that voting was most important?

Our virtues and our vices define who we are. They offer us direction for the choices we make. They quietly demand that we behave responsibly. Living in concert with our virtues brings peace to our souls. There are four virtues I most respect and marvel when I see them in others:
1. Sincerity is the one virtue that wins respect from everyone. When people ask me why I go to hear a certain minister preach, I always say, “I do not go to hear him because I believe what he says; I hear him because he believes what he says.”

Many of us find a routine comforting, as it gives us some feeling of control in life. What can sneak up on us and catch us unaware, however, is an emotional rut that leaves us feeling empty and uninspired.
If you are having these feelings, consider finding a time either weekly or daily to expand your horizons a bit and make a minor shift in your routine. A fresher outlook will help you to rise above your rut and the feelings that go with it.

Last weekend, we celebrated my sister’s college graduation. She chose to pursue a degree later in life, while working and raising two daughters on her own. To say I am proud of her is an understatement.
Our cousin threw a wonderful party, using all the special graduation decorations. Banners, balloons, streamers, and shiny foil confetti shaped like caps and diplomas. My seven-year-old son sat in the floor and scooped up a handful of the tiny confetti shapes and exclaimed, “Look at all these icons!”

What makes a good story? What is our own story? What nourishes us as we navigate the ups and downs of life? How do we shape a story that encourages gratitude rather than rage, spite or self-pity?
Here are some elements that build our story. None of them are sufficient on their own.
How many of these elements exist in your story?
The message that life is a gift. We need stories that encourage our sense of wonder at life’s blessings and nourish our sense of gratitude.

What makes a good story? What is our own story? What nourishes us as we navigate the ups and downs of life? How do we shape a story that encourages gratitude rather than rage, spite or self-pity?
Here are some elements that build our story. None of them are sufficient on their own.
How many of these elements exist in your story?
The message that life is a gift. We need stories that encourage our sense of wonder at life’s blessings and nourish our sense of gratitude.

What makes a good story? What is our own story? What nourishes us as we navigate the ups and downs of life? How do we shape a story that encourages gratitude rather than rage, spite or self-pity?
Here are some elements that build our story. None of them are sufficient on their own.
How many of these elements exist in your story?
The message that life is a gift. We need stories that encourage our sense of wonder at life’s blessings and nourish our sense of gratitude.